FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
CHRISTOPHER MAURICE JOWERS and DEMETRIUS DMIRAL WARREN PLEAD GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls on January 16, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, co-defendants CHRISTOPHER MAURICE JOWERS, age 28, and DEMETRIUS DMIRAL WARREN, age 26, residents of Great Falls (previously of Richmond, California), pled guilty.
JOWERS pled guilty to conspiracy to deal firearms without a license and being an unlawful drug user in possession of firearms.
WARREN pled guilty to conspiracy to deal firearms without a license, being an unlawful drug user in possession of firearms, making a false statement during a firearms transaction, and aggravated identity theft.
Sentencing is set for May 8, 2008. They are currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
Between March of 2006 and September of 2006, WARREN, JOWERS, and another individual, hereafter referred to as "Jane Doe", trafficked firearms between Great Falls and Richmond, California. During this time, both WARREN and JOWERS were prohibited persons.
WARREN enlisted four "straw-purchasers" to buy firearms from various stores in Great Falls who possessed and maintained federal firearms licenses. The four "straw-purchasers" were young women from the Great Falls area.
WARREN also purchased two firearms from Big Bear Sports Center using the name and Montana driver's license of R.C. without R.C.'s knowledge or permission. After WARREN'S June 20, 2006 purchase of a 9mm pistol from Big Bear Sports Center using R.C.'s name and driver's license, WARREN immediately sold the pistol to a cooperating person in the Big Bear parking lot.
During mid-May 2006, WARREN and "Jane Doe" went to California to sell firearms. WARREN sold three guns on this trip for $500 a piece. WARREN and "Jane Doe" returned from California with JOWERS. On June 3, 2006, M.M., a California convicted felon, was arrested by Oakland California police officers with a 9mm pistol that one of the "straw-purchasers" had bought for WARREN on March 30, 2006.
During a party at the end of June 2006 in Great Falls, WARREN and JOWERS posed for pictures with a handgun. JOWERS brought it into the party but told witnesses that the gun belonged to WARREN. WARREN told witnesses that he had a permit for the gun.
On August 2, 2006, WARREN, JOWERS, and "Jane Doe" attempted a second trip to California but it was cut short by their arrest by Nevada Highway Patrol. Three guns were confiscated - two from JOWERS' bag in the trunk and one from "Jane Doe's" purse. R.C.'s identification was recovered from WARREN at this time. Nevada Highway Patrol recovered two 9mm handguns that were purchased earlier the same day by one of the "straw-purchasers."
Testimony would have been provided by several witnesses that WARREN and JOWERS commonly smoked marijuana; bragged about their drug usage as well as their California criminal histories; selling firearms in California and how much money could be made; and that they usually flashed money when they were bragging. In addition, testimony would have been provided that WARREN bragged about his use of "straw-purchasers" to get firearms.
JOWERS and WARREN each face possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release. In addition, WARREN faces an additional mandatory two year imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence, for aggravated identity theft.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette L. Stewart prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Office of the Inspector General for Malmstrom Air Force Base, the Great Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
# # # #
A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
